The Night Journey (Al-Isra)
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful
۞ Purity is to Him Who took His bondman in a part of the night from the Sacred Mosque to the Aqsa Mosque around which We have placed blessings, in order that We may show him Our great signs; indeed he is the listener, the beholder. (This verse refers to the physical journey of Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him – to Al Aqsa Mosque and from there to the heavens and beyond. The entire journey back to Mecca was completed within a small part of the night.) 1 To Moses We gave the Book and made it a guide for the children of Israel, so that they would not have any one as their guardian other than Me 2 (You are) the descendants of those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Noah. He was a truly thankful worshiper' 3 And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Book: 'You shall do corruption in the earth twice, and you shall ascend exceeding high.' 4 When the time of the first of these warnings came, We sent against you servants of Ours, of great might, who ravaged your homes. So the warning was fulfilled, 5 Then We granted you an upper hand against them, and strengthened you with wealth and children, and multiplied your numbers. 6 "If you do good, you will do so for your own good; if you do ill, you will do it for your own loss." So, when the time of the second prediction comes, (We shall rouse another people) to shame you, and enter the Temple as they had done the first time, and to destroy what they conquered utterly. 7 Perhaps Allah will have mercy on you. But if you return, We will return. We have made Gehenna (Hell) a prison for the unbelievers. 8 Surely, this Quran guides to the most upright way and gives good news to the believers who do good deeds, so that they will have a great reward 9 and for those who do not believe in the Everlasting Life We have prepared for them a painful punishment. 10